Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
by Bookworm543
Summary: Jeremy is all grown up. He is a rich and famous actor, who paints on the side. He has a gorgeous wife, Alicia, and a 14 year old daughter, Paige. They all live in New York City and Jeremy has kept them shielded from vampires.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

(Jeremy POV)

"Paige, time for dinner!" I called upstairs.

"I'm coming Dad!" She came rushing down the stairs after washing her hands. Her long, dark brown hair flowing behind her.

I handed her a plate,"chicken parmesan, your favorite."

"Thanks Dad!" She gave me a kiss on the cheek.

"No problem sweetheart." We all sat down to commence our family dinner.

"So what are everyone's plans for tomorrow?" Alicia tried to start a conversation.

"Well, it's the first day of summer vacation, so I have a date-"

"Wait, hold up. A date? With whom if I may ask? You're too young to be going out on unsupervised dates, Paige." Alicia started massaging my shoulder to calm me down.

"As I was planning to say; I have a date with my bed." The tension lifted from me as Alicia laughed.

"Sleeping with him on the first date? Very naughty, Paige. Wait until at least the third date." I cringed.

"The third date! That's before most people barely even know each other!"

"Dad, Mom was just joking around. If you've noticed, I haven't even had my first kiss yet. I haven't even been asked out. I have no plans to sleep with any guys."

"Don't worry, honey, all of that will happen when you meet the right guy." I was mortified by Alicia's thought process about all of this. I leaned over and whispered in Paige's ear. "I'll buy you a puppy if you change the subject." She smiled.

"Did you know that June 29th is national waffle iron day?" I chuckled along with Alicia.

* * *

Next morning at the mall:

"Dad it's okay, you really don't have to get me a puppy."

"If you really want a dog and feel like you will be able to take care of it, then I will keep to my promise. If you won't help to take care of it, then we can get you a pair of shoes instead. Just remember that taking care of a living creature takes a lot of hard work and responsibility." I was sort of attempting to scare Paige out of wanting a puppy.

"Uhh... Could we just go into a shoe store? I don't think I'd be prepared enough for a puppy..." I gave a fist pump in my mind to celebrate my victory.

To my approval, she decided on a fairly sensible pair of black, lace up boots, with a zipper in the back.

"Dad I'm hungry, can we please go home for lunch?"

"Sure, let's go!" I smiled to her.

"That reminds me, when is your audition for that movie; Razzle Dazzle?"

"It's not until next week, so I might need you to perform the other lines for me."

"Sounds good, Dad." We linked arms and left the mall. The paparazzi was surrounding us, bearing cameras and a few had pens and notepads. I held Paige behind me and we walked to my car.

"How did you ever get into acting, Dad?" I was surprised by her sudden question.

"Well, when I was younger, right after my parents died, I became depressed. I started drinking, doing drugs, and dating the wrong types of girls. Your Aunt Elena, and my Aunt Jenna eventually got me back on track. I started drawing again and I wanted a way to show my inner emotion. The next year, Aunt Jenna got me an audition for a soap commercial. It was wicked ridiculous, but I had a lot of fun and from then on, I started a career as an actor." I had to try to not tear up at mentioning Jenna.

"I never knew that you were under such bad influences. Was it all because of your depression?"

"Not completely, I was dating a girl, Vicki, who started me on drugs and getting drunk. Vicki seemed to be the one good part about my life. She was actually the older sister of Aunt Elena's first boyfriend, Matt. I was so in love with her, but she switched between me and another guy, Tyler. Aunt Jenna and Elena always tried to get me to break up with her to stop the fights and bad influences. I never listened, then one day, out of the blue, she was found dead at a party. I was so upset, but I got over it in time."

"Wow, so much grief for just one girl... I couldn't really imagine you with anyone except Mom. When did you guys meet?"

"That's a story for another time, kiddo, but we're here." I smirked at her arriving at the house.

We walked in to the phone ringing. "Dad, it's Aunt Elena!" Paige yelled, glancing at the called ID.

"Hi Lena!" I greeted grabbing the phone.

_"Hi Jer!"_

"Long time, no see, what's up?"

_ "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I haven't seen my favorite niece in years, she must not even remember what I look like!" _She was getting melodramatic.

"Geez sis! Calm down, it's only been 5 years."

_ "Exactly! We barely ever talk anymore, Jeremy. You're always too busy to see your unimportant older sister."_

"Elena, get real. You hate the paparazzi and they follow me almost everywhere. Anyway, I have a big audition coming up."

_ "Jer, it's almost your 34th birthday. I'll come to you if that's the best I can get. Come on, allow it for me, your favorite sister." _

"Okay, I'll come to you if you want. It can't be any longer than a weekend though. Alicia and I have work." I finally gave in.

_ "Yay! Thanks bro! Come whenever, just text me before you leave. Now I have to go to work, but I'll talk to you later. Love yah, bye!"_ I muttered a quick goodbye.

"What did she want?" Paige entered the room.

"It looks like we're going down to Virginia this weekend."

"That should be fun. We've never gone there to visit Aunt Elena as a family before." She was getting excited.

"That's mainly because of time restraints and she doesn't live in the best town." I tried to explain myself.

"What's so bad about the town?"

"Well, it's not a bad town per se, but I grew up there and a lot of drama always seems to happen there..." I attempted to avoid talking about the supernatural, which I like to keep my family away from. Truth is, if Elena wasn't living in Mystic Falls with Stefan, she might have an actual relationship with Paige.

"Ohh, I get it, you have a lot of bad memories there." I pretended that that was all of it. The door suddenly opened.

"Hey guys, what's with the grim feelings in here?" Alicia joked.

"Cancel any plans you have for this weekend." She gave me a quizzical look. "It turns out we're taking a quick trip to Mystic Falls."

"Ugh, really? That town is tiny and there is just about nothing good about it!"

"Don't complain, Elena just wants to see her niece. Paige hasn't seen her since she was 9."

"Why do we have to go there? Why can't she come to us?" Alicia was whining like she was a three year old.

"Paige can see my hometown. Also, I want to visit my parents and Jenna's graves. This way, you get to meet Lena's boyfriend too." I could sense that I was winning.

"Fine, but I'm not staying for more than the weekend." We agreed and began to pack our bags, seeing as it was Thursday.

* * *

Friday night:

(Paige POV)

We were packing up Dad's car, just about ready to go. I'm trying to not go jumping with glee at Mom and Dad finally giving my an opportunity to visit Aunt Elena.

"Come on! It's time to go! We want to get there before it's dark." Dad called out. I grabbed my pale blue duffel bag, phone, and purse then went to the car.

Dad started driving and tossed me his phone. "Could you please text your aunt to tell her we're on our way."

"Sure." I set to my text; **hey Aunt Elena! It's Paige, Dad just wanted to tell you that we just left. See you soon! ~J. G**

Her reply was almost instant. **Hi Paige! Thanks for informing me. I can't wait to see you guys! Is your mom coming too? ~Elena**

**Yep! I don't know how excited she is though... ~J. G**

**That's fine, we'll just have to get her to smile. ~Elena**

I figured that I had gotten my point across, so I gave Dad his phone back.

* * *

6 and a half hours later:

We were about 2 minutes away and I could see why Mom really didn't want to come here. Having grown up in the city, it looked beyond tiny. There was only one restaurant that I saw and it looked like there had to be under a hundred residents.

"Dad, how did you go from this town to New York City? This is tiny."

"Well, I lived in Denver for a while so I adapted fairly quickly... We're here!" He yelled as we pulled into the driveway of a cute little house.

We got out of the car and Dad grabbed his keys and opened the door.

"ELENA!" He yelled out and a tall, good looking guy came down the stairs. "Hi Stefan, where's Elena?"

"She just ran out to get some food. How are you Jeremy and who are these two lovely women?"

"I'm great, thanks. Oh how rude of me, this is my wife, Alicia," he pointed toward Mom, who shook the guy's hand. "And this is my daughter, Paige." He pointed toward me. Stefan seemed to have a nice and firm grip. "Alicia, Paige, this is Stefan Salvatore. He's Elena's boyfriend."

At that moment, Aunt Elena came in, holding bags of food. She put it on the counter then came back over.

"Hey guys! I see everyone's met." She kissed Dad, Mom, and I on the cheek and gave us hugs. "Paige, you've grown up so much!"

"It's good to see you Aunt Elena."

"And Alicia, looking more beautiful than ever." Mom gave her a smile at the compliment. "Now, who's hungry?"

We all ate dinner and caught up with each other.

"For sleeping arrangements, Jer, you and Alicia can sleep in Jenna's old room or your old room and I guess Paige can take whichever. That sound good?"

"Sure Lena. Paige, I'll show show you both and you can choose." We got up and first he led me to a dark sage colored room with a pale blue checkered comforter on a full sized bed. It seemed to fit my needs perfectly.

"This room should be just fine, Dad." He walked over to the dresser and started rummaging through it.

"Just doing a quick drug check. My teenage self was always slightly too stupid with hiding pot." Ohh, that explained his searching. "Okay, I think Elena got it all. Let me know if you happen to find anything. I can't believe she kept all of my old clothes. Anyway, bathroom is first door on your left. See you in the morning."

"Night Dad, thanks!" He turned to the door and left.

I decided to go get ready for bed because the long trip wore me out. I grabbed my toothbrush and pajamas and went to the bathroom.

As I reentered Dad's old bedroom, I had the strangest feeling that someone was watching me. I noticed the window was opened and there was a black crow in the tree next to it. There was something strange about the crow. It seemed to be staring at me. I brushed off the feeling, just thinking I was being paranoid and shut the window. I hopped into bed wondering about the crow...

* * *

**A/N: I just got this idea for a story kind of randomly... What do you think? Should I continue it? Should I trash it? Review and tell me your thoughts on it!**


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks to the guest reviewer. I picture Paige to resemble Ariel Winter.

* * *

(Paige POV)

My dreams seemed to mostly be a reflection of the stories Dad had told me in the previous day. I woke up, still paranoid because of the crow from last night. I looked out my window to see if the crow was still there. Phew! It wasn't. I went to the bathroom to shower and get dressed.

I ran into Dad on my way out of the bathroom. "Why are you up so early?" I looked at a wall clock and laughed.

"Dad, it's like nine, it's not that early." He has never been an early riser.

"Ugh, do you want breakfast or can I go back to sleep? I think your aunt is up." He looked like he was about to fall over.

"You can sleep, I'm fine." I dismissed and he stumbled away in tiredness. I went back into his old room to put on some makeup and style my hair.

I applied very little natural makeup and blow dried my hair. Then, I just pulled it into a high, messy bun. I look fine, not many people will see me anyway.

Hunger growled in my stomach. I descended down the stairs to find the kitchen. On my way, I was passing a couch, where I found Aunt Elena. She was making out with that guy I met yesterday, Stefan.

"Morning!" They jumped apart as I awkwardly alerted them of my presence.

"Uhh, good morning, Paige." Aunt Elena smoothed her hair. "How'd you sleep?"

"Pretty good, thanks." I decided to not mention the crow to her. Maybe it was just random.

"Since we both know your parents have no intentions for waking up anytime soon, what would you like for breakfast?"

"I don't want to be a bother, so could you just lead me to some cereal, please?"

"Sure thing, kiddo, but if you want anything more interesting, Stefan here is an awesome cook!" He looked kind of embarrassed.

"Well in that case, I'll have some stuffed french toast!" I laughed at my joke. "No, really, I'm fine with cereal.

"Whatever you'd prefer plain Jane..." She walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a few boxes of cereal. "Take your pick." The were Froot Loops, Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, granola, and Count Chocula. She must have a fetish for kid's cereals. The Froot Loops were calling to me, so I poured some into the bowl Aunt Elena had grabbed when I wasn't paying attention. I added milk and went to the tv.

For some reason, every time I eat cereal, I feel the need to sit criss-cross apple sauce and watch cartoons. You know, it is the same thing with apple juice and bendy straws. So, I clicked Spongebob onto the tv, since no one was watching.

"OMG! I love Spongebob!" Dad ran down the stairs. I started cracking up. "Hey, be quiet! This is the best episode! I love the Krusty Krab Training Video!"

"Here's your options for today. I can show you around town, we could visit the cemetery, we could see which of my old friends still live here, or we could just hang out at the local hot spot."

"Do you want to take me on a tour and do the rest of that along the way?" He agreed and left to get dressed.

"And this is-" Dad started.

"Hey Gilbert!" Some guy with short, dark hair cut him off.

"Hey Tyler. What's up? This is my daughter, Paige, and my wife, Alicia.

"I'm doing good. Hi Paige, hi Alicia." I think this may have been the Tyler that Dad told me he fought with over Vicki. He gave me a quick nod knowing what I was thinking.

"So you stayed here all these years?"

"Actually I have traveled around a bit. I hear you've grown up from when you were still a sophomore in high school." Then he turned to me. "Did you know that your dad used to be a depressed little stoner."

"Oh, fuck off. I'm sure he was in better shape than you." He looked at Dad unsurprised.

"You definitely have a mini you in that little girl."

Mom was trying to figure something out. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I think so, where did you go to college? I went to Duke."

"No way! You are that Alicia? Shit, my shoulder is still messed up from when you tackled me."

"I only tackled you because you broke Caroline's heart!"

"You guys know each other?" Dad cut in.

"Yeah, we went to college together and he broke my best friend's heart by cheating on her. So, I beat him up to get her revenge."

"Mom, that sounds badass!"

"Hey, let's cool it on the swearing please." Dad came in.

"You really can't judge her, Gilbert, you were much worse at her age. I doubt that you could possibly be a great role model. You-" Tyler, the dick, got cut off by Dad punching him and then the paparazzi came running over, flashing their cameras.

(Jeremy POV):

Shit! It seems like the paparazzi have a tracking device on me or something! I jumped into action, pulling Paige in front of me and taking Alicia's hand in mine. We walked into The Grille as calmly as possible. Elena waved us over, so we joined her.

"You look annoyed, Jer, what's the matter?"

"The paparazzi somehow tracked me down. They got a few shots of me punching Tyler Lockwood."

"I'm sure that'll be great for your career." She said sarcastically. He looked at the reminders on his phone.

"Shit! I have to go to Los Angeles to film my appearance on Bones on Tuesday. I left the script at home."

"Wait, since when are you going on Bones?" I guess I forgot to tell Alicia and Paige.

"OMG! No way! I love Bones!" she tried not to jump up and down in her seat.

"Yeah, I'm playing Booth's brother."

"That's so cool! You have an awesome job, I wish I could be an actress."

"I can try to get you some commercials to start if you're serious about it." I offered and her eyes just lit up. It was just like when she first saw Disney world. Paige gave me a huge hug.

I looked over to the bar and saw Alaric and Damon drinking. "Lena, you didn't tell me that Ric is still in town. I'm going to go say hi!" I walked over to the bar. "Hey Ric, Damon."

"Hi Jeremy! Why are you back in town?" Ric questioned.

"Just visiting Elena. We're leaving tomorrow night."

"You have Alicia with you and didn't come to visit me? I'm offended Jer."

"Is she the woman sitting with Elena?" Damon jumped in. I nodded and looked at them. Paige smiled and got up to come over.

"Dad, Mom's getting annoyed of being here. She really wants to go home." I laughed.

"She can deal with it for one more day. Ric, Damon, this is my daughter, Paige. Paige, this is Damon, Stefan's brother. And this is Ric, my old history teacher and he was kind of me and Elena's guardian. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, it wasn't that strange." She laughed.

"It's nice to meet you guys." She shook their hands.

"So Paige, how do you like Mystic Falls so far?" Ric tried to make conversation.

"It's super small, but cute. It seems like the kind of town where nothing bad ever happens."

"You have no clue how wrong that last statement really is. A lot of shit has gone down here." Damon pointed out and I glared at him for bringing it up.

"Really? Like what?"

"There was the civil war battle and va-" I mouthed she doesn't know to him before he mentioned the supernatural. "-various legends of this being a center for the supernatural."

"That's totally ridiculous. Do you really think I believe in ghosts and such?" She chuckled to my relief.

"Of course not, I'm sure you're a very bright girl. That is, unless you're like your old man." I glared at Damon again.

"I'm going to go hang out with Mom and Aunt Elena." Paige turned to me.

"Sure, let me know when you guys are ready to leave."

As if on cue, my phone started blaring out Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5, alerting me that my agent was calling. "What do you need, Mike?"

"_What are you doing in Virginia?"_

"Visiting my sister." I knew what was coming.

"_Then why am I finding pictures of you beating up some guy?" _

"I knew him from when I was a kid. He was being a dick." It was just my luck that the paparazzi came out right when I was punching Tyler.

"_I don't care, nor does anyone else. You have fans that view you as a role model, don't ruin it for them. Next time, just walk away."_ Mike sighed.

"Yeah, I know I should have, but it's too late now."

"_You'll survive it, anyway. Chances are, everyone will think it was self-defense. There are also pictures of you hiding Alicia and Paige, so it shouldn't need too much damage control."_ Mike reasoned. I noticed Ric looked like he wanted to say something.

"Thanks, Mike. I've gotta go, talk to you later."

"_Okay, Jeremy. Bye._" I hung up and looked to Ric.

"What happened? Who was that?"

"It was my agent, Mike. The paparazzi got pictures of me punching Tyler Lockwood. He wanted to find out what happened."

"Oh, must be fun being famous." He said sarcastically.

"It would be fine if I could just escape the cameras for like 5 minutes. I just wish Paige didn't have to grow up with that."

"Yeah, can she even go to public school?"

"No, she goes to an exclusive private school. It has a restraining order against the paparazzi."

"That must suck, is it even possible for her to have real friends?"

"She does have a few. Oh god, I'm a terrible father. How can I force my family to deal with that? What should I do, Ric?" I realized what I put Licia and Paige through every day.

"Jeremy, that isn't what I'm saying. I'm sure you're an awesome dad, but just talk to her and find out if she's truly happy."

"Jer, Paige and I are leaving. You can do whatever you want. We'll see you later." Alicia came over with Paige. "Hey Ric! It's good to see you." She gave Ric a hug.

"You too, Alicia." He hugged her back.

"Now I'm going. You coming, Jer?"

"One sec, hun." I turned back toward the bar. "See you around, Ric. Later, Damon."

"Bye mini Gilbert." Damon saluted.

We left and went to play mini golf. I learned that in mini golf, you're not supposed to shout "fore!" and hit the ball as far as possible. The day ended in laughter and happiness. None of us even cared that the paparazzi showed up. They were taking pictures and asking questions and after a while, the three of us went back to Elena's house.

"Where've you guys been?" Elena asked.

"Just chatting with the paparazzi while mini golfing."

"Well, that sounds, uh, fun?" She had no clue how to respond.

"It actually wasn't bad." Alicia threw in. We relayed the event and soon, night fell. Alicia, Paige, and Elena made dinner while Stefan and I caught up.

"So, how's life been?" I awkwardly asked.

"Okay, you know, the usual. Never a dull moment."

"Has Klaus been on the radar?"

"He's holding up his end of the deal to leave us alone as long as Elena has a child."

"Wow, that must be tough on you. Is she going to turn afterward?" I tried to sympathize.

"I don't know if it's even in her plans. She will only tell me that she's not ready yet."

"I'll talk to her tomorrow. She needs to know what she wants. You don't deserve to be led on." I really hoped that Elena knows what she's doing. The way she's going, she really is no better than Katherine. Stefan and I were having a moment of thought when Elena came to get us.

"What's up with the silence in here? C'mon, dinner's ready." She laughed.

"Could I talk to you for a minute, Lena?" I really couldn't wait another day to tell her.

"Uhh, could it wait until after dinner? We don't want it to get cold." I nodded in agreement and we went to go eat.

"This is really good." I commented.

"Don't you dare make a women in the kitchen joke, Jeremy."

"Come on, Licia. You know I have to!"

"Just shut up, Jeremy." She seemed genuinely mad at me.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean it." I tried to soothe her, massaging her shoulders.


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you to winxgirl1997 for following and favoriting. Sorry for the long wait, I have school and all...

* * *

"Lena, can we talk now?" I asked after dinner.

"Sure Jer." She pulled me into the living room. "What's the matter?"

"Do you know what you're doing after dealing with Klaus?"

"What do you mean?" She seemed confused.

"After you 'have a kid' are you going to turn? It's fine if you don't want to, but don't lead Stefan on." I whispered.

"I know, but I just don't know. I love Stefan, I really do, but I'm just confused. What should I do, Jer?"

"You know I can't make that decision for you. It's time for you to genuinely think it over. Sleep on it and talk to him in the morning." She hugged me.

"You really are the best brother that I could ever ask for. Thank you for this." I hugged her back.

"That's what I'm here for. Anytime, sis!" I went off to bed, still confused by Alicia's previous behavior. "Hey Licia!" I greeted and she just ignored me and read her book. "What's the matter? Did I do something wrong?"

"I just don't understand why you had to drag me here. It's not like there's anything here we can't get at home."

"Seriously, I know that's not it. You know how much there is for me in this town. Please, what is it really?"

"It's just- do you think we rushed into our marriage too quickly?" I was shocked at her question. Does she want a divorce?

"Of course not, I love you, Licia. Please tell me you aren't saying what I think you're saying! I know we're not the perfect couple, but still."

"I'm really sorry; Jeremy, but I want a divorce." I couldn't hold back the tears that had threatened to fall.

"Why? Is there someone else?" I couldn't even begin to comprehend how she could do this to me. Did the past nine years mean nothing to her?

"No, I promise, there isn't anyone else. I'm sorry, but I'm just not happy in this relationship."

"I really don't get it. How could you do this to me, Alicia? To Paige? How is she going to live from now on? I'm not forcing her to have practically two separate lives. She really doesn't deserve any of this." My mind kept floating back to Paige.

"We can work it out! She'll live just like usual."

"It will never be the same! You know what, forget it. You want to leave the family, go ahead. You can have your annulment; just don't get mad at me when this all backfires on you." I was fuming at her complete ignorance. I walked back into the living room and slept on the couch.

* * *

"Jeremy? Jer, wake up." Elena was shaking me. I opened my eyes to find her looking really concerned. "What's wrong?"

"Everything. Alicia wants a divorce." She gave me a hug to try to comfort me.

"It's going to be okay. She doesn't realize what she's losing."

"What's going on? Are you okay, Dad?" Paige came trotting down the stairs and sat next to me.

"Not really, but I need to have a serious chat with you. You didn't do anything wrong though. I just want you to know that none of this was your fault."

"Dad, please stop. Are you trying to say what I think? Are you and Mom really?" She got teary eyed and Alicia found us like that.

"Oh my fucking god! Did you really tell her without me? You see, this is why I'm leaving you! You never take my feelings into account!" I was seconds away from erupting into a rant, but Elena beat me to it.

"Excuse me; don't talk to my brother like that." Stefan was getting some coffee. "Stef, could you please take Paige out for a while?" She asked politely and I nodded. Once they were out of the house, Elena went back to her rant.

"You really are a bitch! I've never liked you, but now you could go rot in hell for all I care! Don't yell at Jeremy when all he has done is foolishly loved you! Also, think about your daughter! She's going to lose at least one of her parents from this no matter what you do. She's just a kid and she sure as hell deserves way better than what Jeremy and I had to deal with. If you're too ignorant to allow that to happen, go pack your bags. Just get the hell out of my house!" I stepped between them.

"You can have the divorce, I don't care, but I will make sure Paige doesn't come out of this damaged. I'll call my lawyers so we can get this over." I walked out with my phone and called up Mike.

"Hey, could you cancel everything in my schedule for the next week?"

"_Sure. Why?_"

"Let's just say I'm having family issues."

_ "I hope you're okay, listen, I totally get it."_ He actually seemed to truly care.

"Thanks Mike, you're the best."

"_No problem, I'll set up a meeting with the lawyers tonight."_

"Sounds good, can it be around six thirty?" Mike agreed and I went back inside.

"Let's try to make this as painless as possible. What do you want to keep from this?" I kept my face void of emotion.

"Jer, we can deal with this in the car."

"Around Paige? I think not! I realize that I can't completely shield her, but I don't want her to get hurt."

"I know, but we have to figure out what to do about custody."

"Let her choose what she wants. She's old enough to make her own decisions." I was beyond infuriated.

* * *

"Paige, who would you like to primarily live with?" The lawyer, Terrance, asked.

"I'd prefer to live with both of my parents." My heart ached at hearing that.

"That's out of the question, so do you want to play this out as an interview?"

"Okay, I guess."

Terrance turned to us. "You two need to both give her a reason why she should stay with you."

"I can give you a quiet, mostly paparazzi free life." Alicia went first.

"Paige, sure I can't give you a quiet life, but where's the excitement in that? I could keep on trying to persuade you, but the choice really isn't mine. I don't want you to have to make decisions like this. I just want you to know that I love you and that will never change, no matter whom you choose." I couldn't make this any harder for her.

"Could you two please step out so I can hear what Paige has to say?" Alicia and I stood up and walked out. A few minutes later, Terrance brought us back in.

"Paige and I have come to an agreement. Jeremy, you will be given main custody. However, Alicia, you will be allowed to visit and Jeremy may grant you an allowance to take Paige on weekends." I silently cheered to myself and smiled.

"Thank you." I whispered not really to anyone.

"This means that Jeremy also gets the house, unless he decides otherwise." Terrance continued. Alicia looked at me.

"What do you want to do about it?" I asked carefully.

"You can have it." She said submissively. "Could we just call it a day and deal with the rest of this tomorrow?" I just nodded and we went home.

* * *

"Daddy, why is Mom leaving us?" Paige asked vulnerably. The sight of my baby girl like this made my heart clench.

"I really don't know, sweetie. I just don't know." I ran my fingers through my hair.

"Then why are you going along with all of this?" Her brows furrowed.

"I don't want your mother to be as unhappy as she claims she is." To my surprise, she just hugged me.

"It's all going to be okay, Dad." I nodded and we both went to get ready for bed.

* * *

Paige POV:

Monday seemed to sneak up on all of us. Mom started packing up her stuff to move into her new apartment. Dad and I just ran over lines for his appearance on Bones. He and I both packed a bag for Los Angeles.

"Do you two need a lift to the airport?" Mom offered.

"No thanks, we have a driver coming. He'll pick us up as well." Dad coldly told her.

"When are you guys coming back?"

"Our flight back is scheduled for Friday at four, so expect us to be here at eleven at the latest." He tried to calm down. Mom came over and gave me an awkward hug.

"I'll see you Saturday, sweetie." She whispered, and then walked off.

* * *

"Oh my god! You're Jeremy Gilbert! Could I please take a photo with you?" A girl asked Dad while jumping in excitement. Walking through any airport with Dad wound up like this, but I didn't really care. His fans are usually pretty cool.

"Sure, why not?" He shrugged.

"Hey, would you mind?" She asked handing me her iPhone.

"No problem." I smiled and she moved next to Dad. They posed and I snapped the picture.

"Thank you so much! I'm a huge fan of your work!" She smiled and thanked me for taking the picture. She bounced away, smiling.

"We haven't even been here for ten minutes!" I joked.

"Even across the country I'm well-known!" He laughed with me. We got stopped once more by a couple for a picture. Dad threw on sunglasses and a baseball hat for the sake of time. We grabbed our bags from the luggage carousel and hailed a taxi.

"Where to?" The man asked with a raspy voice.

"The Bel-Air Hotel please." Dad smiled and the driver got us out of LAX and to the hotel in about fifteen minutes.

"That'll be forty bucks." The driver told us and got out to grab our bags while Dad plucked the bills out of his wallet. The taxi driver left and we went into the front desk of the hotel.

"Reservation for Gilbert." Dad told the lady.

"You are in room 314; do you need help with your bags?" She politely asked handing Dad a key.

"No thank you."

"Okay, well, on behalf of the staff of Hotel Bel-Air, we hope you enjoy your stay."

"Thank you." Dad gave a nod and we went to find our room.

"This is nice." I looked around the small room. It had a king sized bed, a futon, a beautiful balcony, a decent sized bathroom, and the other necessities. I set down my bag and jumped up onto the bed.

"So do you want to go to the pool or go out exploring the area?"

"Let's just go swimming. We can explore some other time." I pulled a red and white striped bikini out of my suitcase and went to the bathroom to put it on. When I came out, covered in sunscreen, Dad was already set in his plain, black bathing suit and a white t-shirt.

"Ready?" Dad smiled.

"Yep!" With that, Dad and I grabbed our room keys and walked down.

* * *

(3rd person POV):

They chose two red lounge chairs in the shade. A tall blonde girl approached Jeremy while he and Paige were setting their stuff down.

"Hello Mr. Gilbert! I'm Meg, the general manager here at Hotel Bel-Air. So, I am offering you a bodyguard for security."

"Thank you, Meg, but I don't believe that I need any security. My daughter and I will be fine. Please, just treat us like every other guest." Paige moved next to Jeremy after pulling off her shorts and tank top, revealing her bikini.

"Will do! Have a great stay!" She walked away, shaking her ass. Jeremy pulled off his shirt and jumped into the pool with Paige.

"So tomorrow, we have to be at the studio by 6 a.m., so we should be up by 4 and leave at 5."

"Sounds about right, we should both set phone alarms-"

Jeremy cut her off, "that guy is staring at you." Paige looked to where he was pointing. There was a cute blond boy who was, indeed, looking at her. "Go talk to him!" He urged her. Paige raised an eyebrow at him and swam over to the boy.

"Hey, I'm Paige." Paige smiled at him.

"Hey, I'm Trey. Sorry for staring, but you're just really beautiful." Paige smiled shyly.

"Thanks, Trey. That was really sweet."

"No problem, my mother always taught me to be honest. Anyway, are you Paige Gilbert? As in, Jeremy Gilbert's daughter."

"Uhh, yeah. Is that the only reason that you are talking to me? Are you only interested because my dad's an actor?" Paige dropped her smile.

"No, I wouldn't do that! Yes, I am a fan of his work, but you really are hot." Paige sighed.

"You know what, it's fine, but I'm just gonna..." She trailed off as she climbed out of the pool. Paige took a fairly indirect route to her and Jeremy's chairs. He was just lying there, relaxing.

"How'd it go, hun?"

"He was trying to use me to get to you." Jeremy looked at her sympathetically. "Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ever going to start dating again?"

"Maybe in time, but I still love your mom. It's too soon." He looked down sadly. Paige enveloped him in a sad hug.

"It's okay, Dad. I'll miss her, too."


	4. Chapter 4

winxgirl1997 ask and you shall receive! Thank you to all for reading and thank you twilightlovengirl for favoriting! Now, onto chapter 4!

* * *

(Jeremy POV)

_Ring ring! Ring ring!_ My phone's alarm rung, alerting me that it was time to get up. I slid out of the warm bed to wake Paige up.

"Hey, Paige. Time to get up! Wakey, wakey!" I yelled, shaking her.

"Ugh, five more hours!" She sleepily complained.

"Hours? Don't you mean minutes?" I laughed.

"No, I need my sleep!"

"Well, I guess I could go without you..." I suggested.

"I'm up!" She jumped out of bed and ran over to her suitcase. I chuckled, knowing that my technique would work.

* * *

I pulled the car into the studio lot about ten minutes before six. Paige was practically bouncing in her seat. We walked over to the entrance, where a security guard nodded to me.

"Please report to the front of the stage, where the cameras are set up." He politely commanded. Paige and I followed his directions. We met up with Hart Hanson.

"Jeremy, thanks so much for coming. And who is this?" He nodded to Paige.

"It's no problem, Hart. This is my daughter, Paige. I hope you don't mind that I brought her along. She's working on getting started in the business." She couldn't stop smiling.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Paige." His cell phone rang. "Sorry guys, I have to take this." He stepped outside while answering the call.

* * *

(Third person POV)

Emily Deschanel and David Boreanaz walked through the door talking. "Do you even realize how many animals get killed in the process of making a cheeseburger? Just to make it even better, think about that milkshake! What about the poor baby cows!?" Emily yelled.

"It doesn't hurt the cow for it to be milked! It reduces the swelling and is good for them!" David yelled back.

"Remember how much milk the poor cows are forced to produce to supply for humans. Anyway, we're done with that!" Emily pointed out.

"Good." David dismissed. Paige was freaking out from excitement on the inside. Emily and David seemed to notice Jeremy and Paige.

"Hey guys! It's Jeremy, right?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, and that's Paige, my daughter." He introduced. Emily and David shook both of their hands, when Hart came back in.

Jeremy smiled, "everything okay?" He saw Hart looking very stressed.

"That was Willow Shields's manager, Willow got sick and is unable to play her role."

"So, are we going to wait to shoot those scenes?" Emily asked.

"We can't because Jeremy is in some of those scenes. I need to find a replacement." Hart sighed, annoyed, then perked up. "Wait, how old are you, Paige?"

"I'm fourteen, almost fifteen. Why?" Paige responded somewhat shyly.

"Do you have any acting experience?"

"Only elementary school plays."

"And she runs lines with me sometimes." Jeremy cut it.

"Could I possibly get you to run a few lines?" Paige nodded and Hart sent everyone else to hair and makeup. "Scene 5, part 3 you do Abby Booth and I'll be Jared Booth. Abby is a highly intelligent teenager, who doubts herself. Action!"

"Abby, I haven't seen you in like forever! How's it going, kid?"

"Hey Uncle Jared, I'm doing fine, but the small talk is totally stupid."

"You always were one to get right to the point. So, your Uncle Seeley sort of had a mishap at work. Your dad sent me to bring you to the hospital."

"Oh my god! What happened to him? Is he okay?"

"He got shot, but he's fine."

"I knew it! I always told him to reconsider his career. Being a cop never seems to end well in this family." Paige finished up the last line strongly and Hart called cut.

"That was awesome, Paige! Could I possibly persuade you to play Willow's part?" At Hart's words, Paige started to freak out in excitement.

"Definitely. I'd love to play the part!"

"Thanks so much! I'll take you to get your costume."

* * *

After rehearsal,

(Paige POV):

"Congrats, kid! You did awesome!" Dad patted me on the back.

"Thanks, dadio you too!"

"No problem, hey, do you want to go to the batting cages?"

"Sure, any particular reason that you want to go all of a sudden?" I was slightly confused by his wish.

"Not really, just a reward for a job well done."

* * *

At the batting cages:

(Jeremy POV)

There weren't many people here, so Paige and I got bats and helmets and headed in. After a round, I stopped and started cheering on Paige.

She finished up the round and left the cage. "You did so good! I'm jealous of your mad baseball skills." I laughed with her.

"Hey mate." I heard a familiar English accent behind me and turned around.

"Kol, what the hell? Your brother isn't here, right?" I tried not to sound as freaked out as I actually was.

"Which one? None of them understand baseball. They're all off on their own... Where's the doppelgänger?" I was about ready to try and strangle him from anger. Paige grabbed my arm.

"What's the problem? Are you okay?" I almost completely forgot that she was there.

"Yeah, sweetie, go work on your swing. I'll be right there." I dismissed.

"Oo ohh is Jeremy a pedophile?" Kol smirked.

"Go to hell, like you can talk. And by the way, she's my daughter." I sighed in relief when my phone rang. "Bye, Kol." I walked away. "Jeremy Gilbert."

"_Hey Jer, Paige said that you might need an excuse to get out of a conversation._"

"Yeah, thanks Elena. I was actually trying to escape from Kol."

"_Klaus wasn't there right!"_ She gasped in surprise.

"No, but I really don't want Paige involved in any of that crap."

"_I can't help but think that it's inevitable. On a lighter note, Caroline is performing right in your area. I think Paige would love it_!" I laughed at the sudden subject change.

"I'll look into it, but I want to just get back to the hotel for now. I'll talk to you later, Elena!"

"_Bye Jer, see you soon!_"

* * *

Back at the hotel:

I pulled out my laptop and started googling Caroline. I found out that her show was like ten minutes away and sold out.

"Hey, Paige! Come here for a sec." I called out.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever heard of Caroline Forbes?" Her eyes widened.

"Yes! Who hasn't? She's only like the best singer on the entire planet!" I tried to keep her in suspense.

"Well, do you want to go to her concert tomorrow night?"

"Yes, but I heard it was sold out..."

"I might be able to pull some strings... Did I forget to mention that I might know her?" I laughed as Paige started jumping in excitement.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Kay's gonna be soooooo jealous!" I laughed.

"I'll see what I can do. I haven't seen her in a while."

"Thank you, daddy!" She jumped off excitedly while I pulled out my webcam. I hooked it up and Skyped Caroline. It rang and eventually, her face popped onto the screen.

"Hey Care!"

"Hey Jer, what's up?"

"Oh not much, just sitting around in a hotel room..."

"What a coincidence! I'm lounging around on my tour bus!" We started laughing.

"So, I had a favor to ask you..."

"No Jeremy, I will not sign your ass."

"What! Where'd you even come up with that? Whatever, so I actually was wondering if I could get two tickets to your concert tomorrow night..."

"Sure, who's your plus one? Does Jerbear have a little girlfriend?" She teased.

"I actually just recently got divorced, my daughter is coming with me." She got really quiet for a second.

"I'm so sorry, Jeremy! I didn't know-"

"Stop, don't worry about it. I'm trying to stay positive." I ran a hand through my hair. Paige had finally composed herself and come out to jump next to me on the bed. She glanced onto the screen and screamed.

"Oh my god! I thought you were lying, Dad! This is un-fucking-believable!" Care laughed.

"Hi! I'm assuming you've heard of me."

"I'm such a huge fan! You're an amazing artist, I'm Paige."

"Paige, calm down, please don't blow my eardrums out!" I sighed.

"C'mon Jer, get that stick out of your ass! Let loose a little bit!" Caroline joked.

"Shut up! I'm fun, aren't I fun Paige?" She just looked at Caroline and they both nodded at each other. Uh oh, the secret girl talk never ends well for me. "Well, excuse me, but I'm gonna go pee." I got up and ran over to the bathroom. It was very important for me to escape from their planning. Sadly, my excuse could only buy me like five minutes, so I flushed the toilet, washed my hands and faced my fears.

"Jer, we decided how you can show how fun you are. Remember that Sexy Suds car wash fundraiser we did in high school?"

"I had no part of that. Elena and Jenna went, but I hung out with Vicki at the graveyard." I cut in.

"Well, now's your chance! We could donate all the proceeds to a charity."

"Caroline, we are not doing a Sexy Suds car wash! I really don't want that kind of publicity."

"Paige and I came up with one other option..." I got really freaked out by her buildup. "Tomorrow, at my show, for the last song, you come up on stage. Then, you sing, if you want, we can make it a duet."

"Paige, you are such a traitor! Have you ever heard me sing before? There's a reason for that!"

"He isn't kidding, I really have never heard him sing before..." Finally, Paige decided to defend me.

"There's a first time for everything! Now choose, Jeremy, car wash or singing." God, Caroline has only become more of a bitch.

"You know what, I'll do both." I could barely believe the words were coming out of my mouth. "I can let loose, this is the only life I'll get."

"We'll hold you to that, Jer. Anyway, I'll see you guys tomorrow meet me backstage at six, I'll give security your names."

"Bye Care."

"I can't wait to see you tomorrow, Caroline! We can put our plan in action. Night!" Paige's mention of a plan mortified me. What had I set myself up for?


End file.
